my waist, her fingers
resting on my hips.
“No,” I said quickly. “That’s not it at
all. It’s just that…there are some rules...made by people you’ll
learn about. We can’t be together. We’re different. You’ll learn
how and why soon enough.”
Her hand slid up to my gun in its
holster. “What’s that?” she asked in confusion.
I looked down at her hand, then into
her eyes. “It’s a gun. I carry it for protection. What we’re
talking about is dangerous stuff. What I’ve told you should never
be repeated. I probably shouldn’t have told you at all. We can’t
change that, but if certain folks were to find out, they might want
to harm me…even kill me.”
She let go of my side, and bit her lip.
“Is this the same people that would tell us we can’t be together?
Am I in trouble too?”
“Yes,” I said, “but as long as you
don’t tell anyone about this you will be safe.” I took both of her
hands and brought them back up to my face. When I saw the tattoos
on her knuckles again I almost wanted to laugh. Her skin was so
cold…she had to be cold-blooded. I laid a kiss onto her hands, then
looked into her eyes for approval. She blushed. Staring into her
face, I needed every ounce of will power to keep from kissing her
again. My mind and my body were at war, one saying, “Go!” while the
other said: “Stay!”
“I really have to go,” I
said.
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “Me too. I think I
don’t like these people you’ve been talking about—the ones with the
rules.”
“If you knew what I was, Ash, you would
not like me either.” I separated myself from her, and it felt like
skin tearing. I winced, then covered it by saying: “Saturday at
noon then?”
“Noon’s fine,” she said, “and you can
park in the driveway.” She gave me a shy smile as she handed me my
sunglasses. “Verloren, I don’t think there is anything you could be
that I wouldn’t like.”
I pushed the sunglasses back into her
hands. “Keep them. I have another pair.” I paused and looked at
her. “You might be sorely surprised once you find out what I really
am.” With that I rushed out the door.
I ran to my bike, gulping night air in
an attempt to get her scent out of my head. I climbed on, started
it, then sped toward Dayton. I would make it there and back home
before dawn. Not that I needed to hide from the sun. I just didn’t
want to hear Jason complain about me feeding alone. He’d done it
himself on occasion, and right then I needed to feed. Ash had left
me ravenous, and not just for food. I would give the Dayton police
something to keep them busy. It would be a night filled with Goths,
metal heads, and punks. I knew the club, the people, and when I
should strike.
This was going to be messy.
Chapter 7
THE WAR
It was early morning before I made it
home. I hoped that would be for the best. I assumed Jason would be
asleep. I pulled my bike into its usual spot next to Jason’s. Fully
fed, I felt better…almost giddy.
I had left the bodies in two different
alleys far from where I’d picked them up. They were two brunettes.
I’d had fun with both of them, and I’d considered staying long
enough to take a nap, but I figured I should dump the bodies
quickly and get out of town. I wanted to get back before Jason woke
up. I’d fed in a rundown house, leaving a bloody mess. I’d taken
only enough time to shower, and rinse off the bodies.
As I walked toward the back door of the
apartment, my vampire ears caught the sound of the television. I
entered as quietly as I could. Jason’s snores came from the living
room. I crept down the hallway and went straight toward my bedroom.
I didn’t bother looking in on Jason. I knew the picture: sprawled
on the couch, remote in hand, as some reality crap played out on
the screen. Why was I sneaking around? I don’t know. It’s not like
I answered to him.
As my hand caught the doorknob I heard
Jason stir.
“Hey,” he croaked.
I stood
resting on my hips.
“No,” I said quickly. “That’s not it at
all. It’s just that…there are some rules...made by people you’ll
learn about. We can’t be together. We’re different. You’ll learn
how and why soon enough.”
Her hand slid up to my gun in its
holster. “What’s that?” she asked in confusion.
I looked down at her hand, then into
her eyes. “It’s a gun. I carry it for protection. What we’re
talking about is dangerous stuff. What I’ve told you should never
be repeated. I probably shouldn’t have told you at all. We can’t
change that, but if certain folks were to find out, they might want
to harm me…even kill me.”
She let go of my side, and bit her lip.
“Is this the same people that would tell us we can’t be together?
Am I in trouble too?”
“Yes,” I said, “but as long as you
don’t tell anyone about this you will be safe.” I took both of her
hands and brought them back up to my face. When I saw the tattoos
on her knuckles again I almost wanted to laugh. Her skin was so
cold…she had to be cold-blooded. I laid a kiss onto her hands, then
looked into her eyes for approval. She blushed. Staring into her
face, I needed every ounce of will power to keep from kissing her
again. My mind and my body were at war, one saying, “Go!” while the
other said: “Stay!”
“I really have to go,” I
said.
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “Me too. I think I
don’t like these people you’ve been talking about—the ones with the
rules.”
“If you knew what I was, Ash, you would
not like me either.” I separated myself from her, and it felt like
skin tearing. I winced, then covered it by saying: “Saturday at
noon then?”
“Noon’s fine,” she said, “and you can
park in the driveway.” She gave me a shy smile as she handed me my
sunglasses. “Verloren, I don’t think there is anything you could be
that I wouldn’t like.”
I pushed the sunglasses back into her
hands. “Keep them. I have another pair.” I paused and looked at
her. “You might be sorely surprised once you find out what I really
am.” With that I rushed out the door.
I ran to my bike, gulping night air in
an attempt to get her scent out of my head. I climbed on, started
it, then sped toward Dayton. I would make it there and back home
before dawn. Not that I needed to hide from the sun. I just didn’t
want to hear Jason complain about me feeding alone. He’d done it
himself on occasion, and right then I needed to feed. Ash had left
me ravenous, and not just for food. I would give the Dayton police
something to keep them busy. It would be a night filled with Goths,
metal heads, and punks. I knew the club, the people, and when I
should strike.
This was going to be messy.
Chapter 7
THE WAR
It was early morning before I made it
home. I hoped that would be for the best. I assumed Jason would be
asleep. I pulled my bike into its usual spot next to Jason’s. Fully
fed, I felt better…almost giddy.
I had left the bodies in two different
alleys far from where I’d picked them up. They were two brunettes.
I’d had fun with both of them, and I’d considered staying long
enough to take a nap, but I figured I should dump the bodies
quickly and get out of town. I wanted to get back before Jason woke
up. I’d fed in a rundown house, leaving a bloody mess. I’d taken
only enough time to shower, and rinse off the bodies.
As I walked toward the back door of the
apartment, my vampire ears caught the sound of the television. I
entered as quietly as I could. Jason’s snores came from the living
room. I crept down the hallway and went straight toward my bedroom.
I didn’t bother looking in on Jason. I knew the picture: sprawled
on the couch, remote in hand, as some reality crap played out on
the screen. Why was I sneaking around? I don’t know. It’s not like
I answered to him.
As my hand caught the doorknob I heard
Jason stir.
“Hey,” he croaked.
I stood
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